Staley, Team USA wrap training camp at Carolina

[gtxvideo vid=’z2CyQq1h’ thumb=’http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/z2CyQq1h.jpg’ vtitle=’Staley, Team USA wrap training camp at Carolina’]

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – The Dawn Staley era of United States Basketball has it’s first chapter.

Carolina’s leader completed her first training camp as the head coach of USA’s National Team Sunday, as she now guides the six-time defending Olympic gold medalists towards the 2018 FIBA World Cup and the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Many of the world’s best players gathered on the Gamecocks’ campus for the three-day set of practices that began Friday. Of the 22 players invited and able to attend, included are former red, white, and blue teammates of Staley from her playing days like Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi. Others athletes consist of the next generation of WNBA stars like Maya Moore, Brittney Griner, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Elena Della-Donne. A pair of former Gamecocks were also invited to participate in the camp: 2016 All-WNBA Rookie Team member Tiffany Mitchell and 2017 WNBA Rookie of the Year Allisha Gray.

As Staley summarizes the significance of the weekend, her players emphasize their excitement to be a part of the process with her, while her former USC athletes describe their takeaways from the weekend on campus in the video above.